Monstera siltepecana, sold as silver monstera, is a climbing epiphytic vine from the tropical forests of Mexico and Central America. In its native range it scales tree trunks in filtered light as an understory plant. The juvenile leaves are lance-shaped, with silvery markings that run between dark green veins, and mature plants develop the fenestrations […]
A cucumber vine that wilts overnight even though the soil is moist is showing the classic signature of bacterial wilt. The disease moves fast: dull patches appear on the leaves within a week of infection, and the entire vine collapses within two weeks, with fruit that stays small and deformed. The cause is a bacterium
Tomato plant suckers, sometimes called side shoots, grow in the junction between the main stem and a branch, a spot botanists name the axil. Left alone, a sucker becomes another full stem with its own branches, flowers, fruit, and even more suckers. That sounds like free harvest, but every extra stem competes for the same
A pergola over a patio or an arbor at the garden gate changes how an outdoor space feels, and the vines that climb those structures do most of the work. Vines provide shade, emphasize the shape of the frame, soften hard lines, and some add flowers and fragrance that make the whole yard feel finished.
Bleeding heart vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae), also called glory bower, is a tender, fast-growing tropical climber that covers a trellis in glossy, dark-green oval leaves and big clusters of showy flowers. Despite the name it is not the same plant as the herbaceous bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis); it comes from the mint family and climbs by
Water lilies (Nymphaea) are the jewels of the aquatic world. They and the closely related lotus (Nelumbo) are rooted in soil, emerging above the water surface so they appear to float. Their flowers are round and centered around a radial notch, and the plants carry symbolic weight in ancient and modern cultures alike. Most water
The Primula genus holds at least 500 species and an almost infinite number of hybrids and cultivars, which makes primrose one of the most varied spring perennials you can plant. Most primroses are short-lived perennials, though they may remain evergreen in the zones where they are hardy. Cultivated varieties usually carry the common name primrose
Ginseng (Panax spp.) is a slow-growing perennial whose fleshy roots anchor one of the oldest healing traditions in the world. Most species are native to East Asia, and two, including American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), grow wild in North American woodlands. Each plant carries a single stem with palmate, serrated leaves, and small white or greenish
Goldflame spirea is a compact flowering shrub grown for foliage that changes color with the season. New leaves emerge bronze-red in spring, mellow to bright yellow-green in summer, and finish copper-orange in fall, while clusters of small pink flowers open through the summer months. The plant, Spiraea japonica ’Goldflame,’ belongs to the rose family and
Japanese pachysandra is the ground cover that solves the problems other plants refuse: dry shade under mature trees, heavy clay, and slopes too steep to mow. The plant, Pachysandra terminalis, spreads by underground runners into a dense mat of leathery, dark-green leaves that blocks weeds and stays green through winter, though the foliage yellows slightly
